Neighbors

There’s no place like Wantagh

Homecoming parade grand marshal was proud to represent community

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Hundreds of people marched up Wantagh Avenue last Saturday afternoon in the annual Homecoming parade, but for one man, the experience was extra special.

Joe DelGais, a 47-year resident of the community, was this year’s grand marshal, selected by the Wantagh Sports Booster Club, which supports athletics at the middle school and high school. Before the Warriors took the field and defeated the Calhoun Colts, residents gathered along Wantagh and Beltagh avenues to watch the cheerleaders, floats, youth organizations and more in a showing of community spirit.

DelGais grew up in Inwood and graduated from Lawrence High School. He attended Elon College, in North Carolina, on a football scholarship, and after he graduated, he was drafted into the Army, and served from 1960 to 1962 in special operations and military intelligence. His service took him to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Libya and Iran.

He taught social studies for 35 years at Baldwin High School, and coached football in Baldwin, Freeport, Lawrence, Jericho and West Hempstead. He was a member of the Nassau County Football Coaches Association, which hosts a gridiron dinner every year. His task was to invite representatives from colleges to meet the county’s top athletes.

DelGais is now the seventh-grade football coach at Wantagh Middle School. For the past 15 years he has been a substitute teacher in the district, and is assigned to the high school this year.

He and his wife, Marie, have been married for 51 years. They raised three children in the community, all of whom attended Wantagh schools. Joseph played football and baseball, and daughters Katherine and Jennifer played volleyball, basketball and softball. All three were All-County athletes, and Katherine was recently inducted into the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame.

She is a special-education teacher in Wantagh, Joseph is a phys. ed. teacher in Port Washington and coaches football in East Meadow, and Jennifer is a pre-school teacher in Garden City. “I don’t know that they followed in my footsteps,” their father said, “but that’s where they ended up.”

DelGais was an assistant coach for the Wantagh Little League, and is a member of the American Legion. In past Homecoming parades he has marched with the Post 1273 color guard.

“This is a great honor,” he said of being named grand marshal. “I was shocked, and I greatly appreciate it.”

Members of the Booster Club hand-delivered a letter to DelGais that informed him of the selection. Co-presidents Maureen Conklin and Kate Powell said they couldn’t think of a more deserving person.

“He’s well known in the community,” Powell said. “He’s got a great attitude when it comes to the children.”

Conklin said that DelGais always has a smile on his face. She described him as sweet and humble, and noted how proud he was of being selected, a decision that was made by the Booster Club’s board members. “It was worth it, just to see his face,” she said.

DelGais said he is grateful for the honor, and added that he is appreciative of all the work the Booster Club does for Wantagh students. The reason he has stayed in the community for so long, he said, is that it is full of people who go above and beyond to help children, and he has always strived to be one of them.

“It’s a great town to live in, and bring up kids,” he said. “I try to give back as much as I can. Kids are our most precious possession.”